Padraig Carmody

Padraig Carmody is a Professor in the Department of Geography at Trinity College Dublin's School of Social Sciences and Philosophy, specializing in the political economy of African development.

His research critically examines geopolitical shifts in Africa, emphasizing foreign investment patterns, the role of emerging powers like China, and neocolonial resource dynamics. Key interests include globalization's impact on sovereignty, commodity extraction, and resistance strategies by African states, framed through a decolonial lens that challenges neoliberal development paradigms.

His influential 2011 monograph The new scramble for Africa analyzes renewed global competition for African resources, highlighting parallels with historical colonial exploitation while documenting contemporary agency of African actors. This work established foundational critiques of 'land grabs' and infrastructure-driven investment models.

Carmody's scholarly contributions consistently address power asymmetries in international development, with recurring themes of agency, resistance, and alternative development pathways emerging across his publications.